Happy Father’s Day

Saturday

Jun 15, 2013 at 9:49 PM

This is Father’s Day, and what a day it is.

This is Father’s Day, and what a day it is.We use it to celebrate our fathers, to poke a little good-natured fun at them, maybe even delight them with a tie or a pair of socks.The jobs that fathers do, though, go far beyond what they could ever get in return. And that is part of the deal.Whether they are teaching sons how to tie their ties or accompanying their daughters to dance recitals or simply working their hardest to provide for their children, fathers do a good job year around at providing economically and emotionally for their families.Sometimes we mistakenly label fathers with the disciplinarian role, and many play that role extremely well.Fathers, though, don’t relish that part of their responsibilities.They would rather smile over an A honor roll report card than stand frowning at the door after curfew has passed awaiting the late arrivals.They get plenty of both. There are good moments and bad in the life of any father. They get the breathless thrill of watching us succeed when we do, and they know our disappointments as well as we know them ourselves.Whether they are still with us or not, let’s remember our fathers today — the tough job they did and do just because it was the right thing.They have a tough set of duties.They are breadwinners — even if most of them get some help in that department these days.So they have the economic pressures that confront all of us. But their pressures affect the entire family.They are teachers.They are in charge of helping to prepare us for the rest of our lives.They teach us how to drive a car, drive a nail, drive a golf ball and all sorts of other things they teach us without us even realizing it.Our lessons from our dads are many and varied. What part of life hasn’t our father touched?Dads teach us the tough lessons — how to be a gracious loser or a gracious winner.They also teach us how to be the quiet leaders they tend to be.Not that their lessons always take hold immediately. Fathers are known for repeating themselves. If there is any truth to that, it is because we so seldom listen the first time we’re told the things we need to know.They set the tone for our childhood and, whether we realize it at the time or not, for the rest of our lives. We owe them thanks for all they do, even the things we are usually too busy to notice.Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. Enjoy it because you deserve it.

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